The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-30
1t Is Large Enough, However, to Demonstrate
that Indianapolis Is in the Gas Belt and
Encourages Further Drilling.
The News of the Discovery Causes Con-
siderable Excitement in the City,
Hundreds of People Visit the Well to View the
Gas Flame-How the Shooting Pro-
cess Was Conducted.


still had hopes that the shooting of the Bright
wood we'll might develop gas believed it was
more than an idle rumor, and numu>r of in
terested gentlemen sent telegram to Bright
wood to ascertain if there was any foundation
for the report. An answer came back:
"Gas found and burning ten feet high"
The excitement then became intense and every
person who could procure conveyance started
at once for the little suburban village. In half
an hour there was procession of buggies on the
road to the newlydiscovered gas we'll
The Capital City Gas Company, which drilled
the well. was organized not quite two months
ago. Among its stockholders are several men
OF capital, and the company has ali the money
necessary to drill Marion county over from one
end to the other for the much-desired fuel For
the reason that the company has plenty of
money they refused all overtures from the other
companies of the city to unite when the Stand
ard Oil Company announced its intention to
come in and monopolize the gas field. It was
just five weeks ago yesterday since the COM
pany began to drill at Brightwood. The con-
tract for drilling the we'll was let to Applegate
Il Holland experienced drillers 1t was these
men who drilled many of the wells in Pennsyl-
vania, and what they don't know about natural
gas it is believed isn't worth knowing. They
were assisted in the work by T. Kennedy.
William Lloyd. F. Stevens and D. Andruser.
Messrs. Applegate 81 Holland were allowed to
select the site for the well, and they pitched
upon spot half-mil north of Brghtwood that
gently sloped to a ravine that had been drained.
The outward indications for gas they thought
were favorable, and they had not bored far until
they were convinced that gas would be found.
They bored the Nobesville we'll, and the forma-
ton was precisely the same as they found there
The outlook from the beginning was remarkably
49, 49, f-tA
if they did not find gas on that spot they would
somewhere in that locality. Trenton rock was
struck at nearly the same depth as at
Noblesville. and the day it was penetrated
the workmen and nearly all the mem ers of the
company thought that natural gas was not far
away When the drillers had reached certain
depth in the rock. the indications were so en-
couraging that the announcement was sent out
that only an hours drilling was necessary to
reach the fuel. That was on Saturday night
two weeks ago. Work was suspended at IL
o'clock on that night. to be resumed at midnight
Sunday. In anticipation of finding the gas
great many people went to the we'll that night
and stood around and watched the progress of
the boring. One hour brought gas; two hours
brought none. The third. the fourth and day
light came. and no gas was found. The drillers
said the lucky line had been passed, and almost
entirely abandoned all hope of meeting with sue
cess The directors were disheartened, and
on Monday morning held meeting
to canvass the situation Several favored ahan-
on" and the drilling was resumed. 1t continued
all week and no further signs of gas were found.
On Saturday night a depth of 1900 feet had
been reached, and the directors after consult
ing with the contractor, decided that it was USE
less to spend more time and money on that we'll
The only hope left was to reach the fuel by
shooting the we'll. Work was therefore
stopped, and the contractors began to arrange
for the somewhat peculiar process of shooting
the 1900 foot hole they had sunk toward China
Shooting" q we'll is familiar process in
Pennsylvania and some other Eastern States,
but Indianians have only recently been.
introduced to the process, and the
shooting" of the '.Brishtwood" we'll
offered the people of Indianapolis something
of a novelty. The process from beginning to end
was watched with great interest by the mem
bers of the company and many citizens. The
powerful explosive used, nitro-glycerine. is the
most dangerous Of all tie explosives, and only
professionals attempt to handle it. On last
Thursday the contractors wrote to James l..
| Callander, of Lima, O.. professional WELL
shooter, that they wanted their Brlghtwood hole
shot AS soon as he received the letter he start
ed with 100 pounds of nitro-glycerine. He
didn't come by rail, for ride even the we'll
ballasted railroads of Indiana would De likely to
/ raise large area of good real estate higher than
| the gas boom. But he drove in light wagon
| with the finest of springs. 1t took three days to
make the journey, and it was after dark Thurs
| day evening when he reached Brghtwood.
The announcement of his arrival, and the fact
| that the we'll would be ''shot" yesterday fore
noon. attracted hundreds of people to Bright
wood. The morning train was crowded with
| passengers and hundreds went out in buggies.
| The shot was billed for O'Clock. but the prep
aration of the explosive occupied much time
and those who went out early had seven or eight
hours of weary waiting At o'clock Mr.. Calan-
der drove his wagon near the we'll and began
| preparing for the explosion. He was not as
| sisted by any one. Even the drlllers, who had
seen many wells shot before. kept a safe dis
lance from the explosive. II learned a lesson
| no oaAx -
| the drilers; II working on a we'll
in Pennsylvania The man came to shoot it,
| and the SIX Of us who were assisting in the
drilling concluded would assist him in pre-
paring the explosive. We had the nitro-glycer-
inc on a bench near the WELL and were helping
him to put it in ths cans A workman opposite
me dropped a pound OF the stuff on a
plank on which he standing. 1t exploded,
and five of those around me were killed outright,
or so wounded that they died" Mr. Kennedy
| told his experience to the crowd, and they were
perfectly content to remain with him safe dis
| lance from the dangerous composition
| Mr.. Callander worked with the utmost care
The people became impatient before noon, and
some of them went home He was slow: but
he had to be. The explosive was brought over
frozen, for there is less danger OF an ex-
plosion when it is in that condition.
1t had to be allowed to sit IN the sun to thaw,
and that consumed time When it was sufi-
GENTLY thawed Mr.. Callander removed it from
the boxes in which it packed and placed i,
in tin tubes six feet in length The tubes were
made slightly smaller than the fssure in the
--ell. so they would drop to the bottom. Six oil
the Tubes were filled, making line of thirty.sz
feet Of the explosive. One by one the filed
tubes were lowered into the well by a rope.
When the last down it was past 2 o'clock
The we'll was then ready to be shot" Mr.. Cal
lander took from his wagon the go dewitt
which serves as the lighted fuse. The crowd
saw that the impatiently-expected moment had
come and fell back several hundred feet from
the well.
How will you get away when you touch i
off, asked nervous spectator OF Mr.. Calan
der
Get awayl / don't need to be in hurry t.
do that. 1t takes the go devil some time to ge
down !. 800 feet, aud can get out of the reaci
of all danger"
The crowd strained their necks as Callande,
dropped the goodwill into the tube. 1t is round
rod of steel, weighing several pounds, considera
with the nitro glycerIne causes the explosion
When everything Was ready Callander let 20 tn.
weight and ran q hundred feet away. Every
body waited, but there sound of any
explosion. 1t was failure The Immense
amount of water in the tube had hindered tn,
progress of the weight, and the cup had not beef
exploded Il will bring ii this time, said Cal
lander. and he took from his ready wagon an
other weight, somewhat heavier than the first
In 1t went. and before he had got fifty feet from
the we'll the explosion came. 1t was all over il
minute-a rumbling noise that sounded iik
distant thunder. culver of the earth. and tn
we'll was shot.
The crowd rushed to the hole to see what tn
result had been. Mr.. Apologize placed his han
over the tube and held it there . moment. an